Residents of the popular neighborhood of Fraternidad, which began this Thursday afternoon, gathered at the corner of Fernando and Morris to protest the blackout that we have had in the area since Monday afternoon, there, in Mantilla, which is my neighborhood, and all of Havana and the west, where Pinar del Río suffers the greatest burden of the disaster.
Leaders of the Party and the municipal government, together with PNR officers, explained to everyone, with understanding and delicacy; They argued over and over again.
But since everyone knows their own drama, the people from Fraternity who gathered on the corner, a relatively small but representative group, explained the situation of each one at home, about the lack of water and the loss of what little or much that each had in the refrigerator.
Abel, Edel and Abdel, three young and well planted mulattoes, were among those who most passionately raised the feelings of those who were there. They did so eloquently, respectfully and sensitively to the situation, but firm in the specific problem of each person.
They spoke at length with Eugenio, the first secretary of the Party in Arroyo Naranjo and president of the Municipal Defense Committee, who explained to them everything that was happening and the enormous effort that was being made in the municipality, the province, and the nation.
The exchange closed when Abdel, looking at a huge garbage dump where trees, branches and other debris were accumulating, said, “well, now what is needed is that they send trucks to collect that garbage.”
Eugenio replied that they were coming, but that everyone had to pick her up. “Let them come,” Abdel replied. “No, and I’m going to pick it up with you and the others; although I would be more useful organizing and directing the recovery work, I am going to stay to do it”, replied the president of the Municipal Defense Committee.
And so the debate between Abel, Edel, Abdel and Eugenio, the first secretary of the Party in Arroyo Naranjo, was settled.
When the truck arrived, I also joined. Between five of us, we filled the first transport that parked.
(By: Rene Tamayo)